treadmill or road

Im over weight ,trying to loose 3 stones,lost 4lbs dieting,but it seemed every time i go out running on the road ,i managed to hurt myself,and im only at W1R2! would it be better to run on a treadmill than the road till at least i lose some weight?

[Deryn61 Graduate]

I had a lot of weight to lose when I started this programme (still have a fair bit) . I did weeks 1 to 7 on a treadmill, mainly because of being self conscious and also so I could gauge my pace better. It was also late December so it was dark and icy outside at the time.

When you say your have hurt yourself what do you mean? Some aches are inevitable when we do an activity that works previously underused muscles. But the recovery days should help you get over these.

IF you are in pain even after your recovery day/s then maybe you need to speak to your GP or refer to a physio.

The unevenness of the roads and the hardness of the surface may well be a factor so if you have choice of varying your running, eg treadmill, softer surfaces then that might help. Also make sure your run isnt too fast, as Laura says a steady jog is fine.

And very important, if you arent already, make time to do a full range of stretches after each sessions, it makes a big difference.

Good luck

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Thanks for the reply,after the 1st run ,I had chins and calves pains and didnt do any stretching,and ran with a old pair of trainers,second run was with a brand new pair of running shoes,and did the stretching as seen on the NHS site,that was before yesterday,no chins pain and clves ok but all day today my right knee killed me,seemed a bit better tonight tho,was wondering if the difference of surface (tarmacadam vs treadmill) would help with the knee pain!

[George42 Graduate]

The treadmill is somewhat cushioned. I was very heavy when did it and ran all 9 weeks on the treadmill.

Now though I hate running inside, I much prefer to run outside.

[happierswimming Graduate]

Certainly a treadmill will absorb impact better than road runing. I also use the park after rain when the ground is soft. A slight incline on the treadmill will also reduce pressure on your knees.

[Minuette Graduate]

I would say do whichever you prefer doing, rather than which you feel you should be doing. I did approx 3/4 of the programme on a treadmill and 1/4 outside. I actually preferred doing it on a treadmill rather than outside, but now that I've graduated I much prefer running outside, so initially just go with what feels better for you.

Neither is right or wrong